


Trust is a Hard-Won Prize

by TWDObsessive



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Feels, Frenemies, M/M, Memories, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:28:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25100113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TWDObsessive/pseuds/TWDObsessive
Summary: Daryl and Negan searching for Rick.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Rick Grimes
Comments: 9
Kudos: 87





	Trust is a Hard-Won Prize

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently working on a long fic and just wrote this little number to stretch my legs and let you guys know I'm still alive.
> 
> Major kudos to Lotr58 for beta'ing this and for all the work she's done to make my next long fic what it is.

Daryl glared at Negan from across the evening’s fire, eyes narrowed and waiting for just one false move, one questionable breath in the wrong direction. He’d be on him with his knives in a heartbeat if he needed to be. He still had no idea why this man was so determined to help him. This was the same damn guy who had marched him around like a slave, left him broken down and naked on a concrete floor, fed him nothing but dog food. This was the same man that literally _tortured_ him. Maybe the question wasn’t why Negan was helping him, but why Daryl was allowing it.

So many others in Alexandria seem to be convinced that Negan’s changed. Not Daryl, though. He’s not going to be so easily won over. He may have ‘saved’ Judith and Dog during a snowstorm. He may have saved Daryl’s ass from the Whisperers, but it would take more than that to earn Daryl’s trust. Trust is a hard-won prize from a Dixon, and it isn’t given over easily.

“I hate you,” Daryl said flatly as Negan sat across the campfire skinning a possum. It was the first words they’ve spoken since they left Alexandria.

“I know,” he answered without looking up.

“You hate _me_ ,” Daryl added.

“Not as much as you might think,” Negan clarified, glancing over the orange flames between them to emphasize the truth of his statement.

The sun was setting overhead as the two men and Dog sat around after another long day of trekking to Oceanside. Daryl was fairly certain they’d be able to make it to the beach by midday tomorrow. 

“Why you so hellbent on helpin’ me?” Daryl asked. 

Negan flung the skin from Daryl’s kill off his knife before he looked back up to the archer.

“Rick done right by me once. Wouldn’t be sitting here alive under a beautiful setting sun having this delightful conversation with you if it weren’t for his mercy.”

“He hated you too,” Daryl added.

“I know.”

They were quiet while they waited for the possum to cook over the fire, Daryl stroking Dog’s head, and Negan staring into the wild flames. Even Daryl had to admit the other man’s eyes weren’t the same anymore. They weren’t hard and angry and void of humanity. Nowadays Negan’s dark eyes spoke more of defeat. Regret. Surrender.

“What’s in this for you?” Daryl asked. 

Negan shrugged. “The kid wants her daddy back and she’s important to me.” Before Daryl could respond, the other man continued. “Plus, I can’t miss the opportunity to annoy the fuck out of you. It’s one of my favorite pastimes.” God, Daryl hated that smug smile of his.

“Shut up,” he snapped.

They were quiet again as they ate. Quiet as they cleaned up afterwards and started rolling out their sleeping bags. 

“I know why you’re looking so hard,” Negan said as both men stared up at the starry sky.

“Everyone knows why. He’s Rick. He’s my best fucking friend. I been looking for him for years without any clues or reasons to. So when Judith says Michonne got a lead and we ain’t heard from her in weeks, then I’m going after it. There ain’t no mystery here, asshole.”

Negan snorted. “Yeah ok.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Daryl snapped.

“Anyone with eyes knows you're in love with him.”

Daryl froze, gritting his teeth. His Dixon instinct screamed for him to crawl out of his sleeping bag and kick the living shit out of Negan, punch the man til his knuckles bled. But instead he just stayed frozen.

“If I learned anything from being in an apocalyptic prison for six years, it’s that it ain’t worth livin’ lies.”

Daryl knew his silence was just as clear as an open admission. There was no point in fighting it, anyway. If Negan was anything, he was observant. Always a strong study of those around him. And Christ, he was right. Daryl had been in love with Rick for so long that he couldn’t remember what it felt like not to have his heart ache for him.

“He used to come talk to me a lot, y’know. When I was first imprisoned and his own people were against him for sparing me.”

Daryl continued his strategy of playing dead like the possum they’d just consumed. 

“Talked about you, man. A LOT.”

Fucking Negan. He was toying with Daryl’s emotions on purpose. Using that annoying sing-songy voice of his. Trying to lure him into a conversation he was not interested in having with anyone, much less fucking Negan. 

“Come on, man. You ain’t gonna ask me what he said?” Negan asked with that annoying laugh of his. 

“I don’t believe anything you say, Negan. Ever.”

“Hmm. Yeah,” Negan said. “Rick always said you’d never forgive me. I told him the Daryl Dixon I knew was much more pliable than he thought. Mops up piss like a champ, I told him. You just got to know what to hold over his head and you can make him do just about anything.”

“That’s it,” Daryl screamed as he fought his way out of his sleeping bag and up to his feet. “That’s it! You and me. Right now.” Daryl put his fists up and set his stance the way Merle taught him when he was first learning how to hold his own in a street fight. Back when having his bicycle stolen from their trailer on South Street was his biggest concern.

Negan slowly got out of his bag and sat down on a fallen tree behind him. “Not gonna fight you, Daryl.”

“Cause you know I’d kick your goddamn ass you fucking prick.”

Negan shrugged. “Probably. Don’t have my sweet Lucille or my idiot followers who would do any damn thing I asked. Truth is, I’m not as tough as you think I am.”

“I think you’re a pathetic piece of shit,” Daryl snarled.

“Yeah, I do too,” Negan admitted with a heavy sigh.

It was no goddamn fun kicking a man who just took it. Where was his fight? 

“Rick told me one night that he didn’t understand what you two had,” Negan said. “Described it as stronger than friendship, brotherhood, and soul mates all put together. Said there wasn’t a word for it. And It was something I’d never be able to understand on account of me being a giant narcissistic asshole. Sounds nice, though. What you two had.”

Daryl unclenched his fists and sat back down on his sleeping bag.

“Judith’s been trying to convince me for the past two years that there’s good in you.”

“Judith can be convincing. Make ya do about anything. Hell, she used to make me do her math homework all the damn time,” Negan laughed. 

Daryl tried to disguise his laugh with a cough.

“If Rick could see her now,” Daryl said with a smile. “Mini katana over one shoulder, the python on her hip, the hat Carl practically grew up in on her head.”

“He’ll see it himself soon enough,” Negan said. “Soon as we find him.” 

“Yeah,” Daryl said softly as he laid back down and gazed at the sky. “Soon as we find him.”

**Author's Note:**

> News: 
> 
> My next long fic is Coming Soon!  
> Title: Like a Flower to the Sun  
> Inspiration: Helen Keller  
> Premise: Merle has a health scare and has to face the fact that his Deaf/Blind brother needs to learn to communicate and survive without him in case he dies. Rick is on sabbatical from his job as an English professor at the local deaf college. Merle and Rick meet... and the story begins. If you are a fan of good-brother Merle, you will probably enjoy this one.   
> ETA- I currently have about 32,000 words and 17 chapters. My rough estimate is probably another 12 chapter. I'm thinking of starting to post after I have another four of five chapters completed.
> 
> Hope there are still Rickyl readers out there that are interested in reading!
> 
> Wishing you all the best during this crazy pandemic. Stay safe, stay healthy, wear a mask.


End file.
